Oz bowling attack weakest in 30 years: Thomson

Former Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson has described the current Australian bowling attack as the worst he has seen in 30 years.

"It's a worry for the selectors. With Mitch not bowling well, this is our weakest attack for a long time, going back to the 1980s," the Herald Sun quoted Thomson as saying.

"We haven't had too many shabby attacks for a long time. In the 1990s, we had McGrath and (Shane) Warne, before that we had guys like (Merv) Hughes and (Craig) McDermott, so this is one with the biggest question mark on it for ages," he added.

"I knew when the series started we'd struggle to take 20 wickets. If Johnson didn't fire, I didn't think we'd be able to do it with the attack we've got. The fact is the Poms are more disciplined, their bowlers are better. I believe their bowlers bowl tighter than our blokes and we don't have the patience that they do. They're just better organised than we are. To me, we look like we're a shambles," Thomson said.

Australia's bowling effort at the Gabba was the worst against England in 25 years. Not since 1985, when it managed just five wickets in an innings defeat at Edgbaston, has an Australian attack lacked similar penetration.

Former Test captain Mark Taylor said Ponting's bowlers needed to lift in Adelaide, especially if Johnson is given the bullet after going wicketless in Brisbane for the first time in his 39-Test career.

Thomson said England, under coach Andy Flower, was mentally tougher than the Australians.